1. What is the American Dream? How does Gatsby represent this dream? Does
the novel praise or condemn Gatsby's dream? Has the American dream changedsince Gatsby's time?
-The American Dream can be portrayed in many ways. It is based on the simple interest of an
individual and the ability to dream of possible realities. We work for our careers and lifestyle, but it is not always what we want. Our dreams are the lifestyle we imagined would change our life and bring us to new levels.
In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is shown in many ways. First of all, Gatsby exemplifies the American Dream by having very highly noble goals. He enters into the war, has a girl waiting for him back in the states while he is fighting, and it seems like he could never be happier, but things begin to fall apart. The girl that was waiting for him gets wise and marries someone more in her social class and leaves him. Gatsby obtains wealth and begins to attempt to get back Daisy. His desire to gain back Daisy takes ahold of him and corrupts him, thus taking him away from the very thing that exemplified the American Dream through him.
However, at first glance, Jay Gatsby fully encompases the idea of the American dream during that time of American history. He is wealthy. He has a big house. He holds parties. He is popular. He has lofty goals. Everything about him on the outside seems like it is the perfect life. In the end though, we find that inside, Gatsby is not all that it appears. The novel condemns Gatsby's dream in the end and truely proves that the exciting, exotic life of the wealthy person chasing hopeless love is not all that it seems. From a distance, it may seem very attractive, but up close, it seems almost disastrous and unattractive.
The American dream seems to have changed as time has continued on though. The American Dream seems to have shifted from being more of an individualistic American Dream to more of a collaborative American Dream. In today's society, among the most important aspects of the American Dream is having a family and living life with the love of friends and family (along with successs in work, etc...) During the time of Great Gatsby, the American Dream was more of that of an individualistic one and one that brought immediate happiness.
2. Compare and contrast Gatsby's social class with that of Tom and Daisy
Buchanan. How does gography contribute to the definition of social class in The
Great Gatsby?
Wealth brings power and popularity. No matter what culture one is brought up in, it is always an absolute truth. It is especially true throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. In this the novel the narrator, Nick, moves to the east coast of America. The man settles down in a quant neighborhood labeled East Egg. It is a wealthy community, however, it does not share the same traditional family wealth as its sister neighborhood West Egg. Nick’s female cousin, Daisy resides with her cocky and dishonest husband Tom in West Egg. Although they have wealth it is likely they did not make it for themselves. Instead it was probably bequeathed to them by a long line of higher class pedigree. Nick’s neighbor Gatsby has a flashy, not traditional, home. It is revealed later in the book that Gatsby and Daisy had a relationship in the early parts of their lives. Gatsby came from a poor and less advantaged family, while Daisy came from a family of the higher class. Gatsby dedicated is entire life amassing large amounts of wealth to impress Daisy. Through shady dealings, hard work, and belief Gatsby finally becomes rich.
Even after Gatsby’s cultivation of money he falls short of reaching Daisy’s social class. It is not Gatsby’s finances that keep him from the female. In fact it is more social mistakes. There is something about Gatsby and his humble beginnings that make him a little bit awkward. He feels like he must always prove himself and his accomplishments. He also is not the most fashionable. Even though this quote is open to controversy I believe it shows how unfashionable Gatsby is, “"Shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue.” These shirts reveal how rich Gatsby really is but none of them sound appealing. Do men with such status wear clothes that are Indian blue and coral plaid?
In the end is it not Gatsby’s wealth that keeps him out of his love’s caste. It is in fact him. Maybe someone who was not born into aristocracy can never be an aristocrat. Gatsby will always remain awkward and polluted by his past. He will always reside in East Egg looking in at West Egg. He will always be the man looking in at Tom Buchanan. He would never have been able to breach the strict rules of the hierarchy. He would have always been located in East Egg for is unruly ways of making profit and his weird behavior.
(Benjamin Cahill)
3. What is the meaning of the title? In what way is Gatsby great?
-The meaning of the title is a reference to a man named Jay Gatsby who lives in a mansion and hosts various, popular parties. What makes Gatsby so great? The answer is surprisingly simple; his ability to dream and his personal identity in his social parites. He is truely great; someone that everyone truely envies and enjoys at the same time. Throwing massive parties in his mansion, his vast wealth and variety of clothes, his swimming pool. He practically was the image of the American Dream at that time. He even seems to get everything that he wants. He even obatins the ideal girl for a short period of time and captivates her. That would make any man look at Gatsby in awe of his "greatness." Every great time in someone's life has a downfall. The second that greed overtook Gatsby; The second that he was consumed by his hopeless love for Daisy; The second that he stopped dreaming of noble things. That is when Jay Gatsby lost qualites that proved him to be great.
1. What is the American Dream? How does Gatsby represent this dream? Does
the novel praise or condemn Gatsby's dream? Has the American dream changedsince Gatsby's time?
-
individual and the ability to dream of possible realities. We work for our careers and lifestyle, but it is not always what we want. Our dreams are the lifestyle we imagined would change our life and bring us to new levels.
In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is shown in many ways. First of all, Gatsby exemplifies the American Dream by having very highly noble goals. He enters into the war, has a girl waiting for him back in the states while he is fighting, and it seems like he could never be happier, but things begin to fall apart. The girl that was waiting for him gets wise and marries someone more in her social class and leaves him. Gatsby obtains wealth and begins to attempt to get back Daisy. His desire to gain back Daisy takes ahold of him and corrupts him, thus taking him away from the very thing that exemplified the American Dream through him.
However, at first glance, Jay Gatsby fully encompases the idea of the American dream during that time of American history. He is wealthy. He has a big house. He holds parties. He is popular. He has lofty goals. Everything about him on the outside seems like it is the perfect life. In the end though, we find that inside, Gatsby is not all that it appears. The novel condemns Gatsby's dream in the end and truely proves that the exciting, exotic life of the wealthy person chasing hopeless love is not all that it seems. From a distance, it may seem very attractive, but up close, it seems almost disastrous and unattractive.
The American dream seems to have changed as time has continued on though. The American Dream seems to have shifted from being more of an individualistic American Dream to more of a collaborative American Dream. In today's society, among the most important aspects of the American Dream is having a family and living life with the love of friends and family (along with successs in work, etc...) During the time of Great Gatsby, the American Dream was more of that of an individualistic one and one that brought immediate happiness.
2. Compare and contrast Gatsby's social class with that of Tom and Daisy
Buchanan. How does gography contribute to the definition of social class in The
Great Gatsby?
Wealth brings power and popularity. No matter what culture one is brought up in, it is always an absolute truth. It is especially true throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. In this the novel the narrator, Nick, moves to the east coast of America. The man settles down in a quant neighborhood labeled East Egg. It is a wealthy community, however, it does not share the same traditional family wealth as its sister neighborhood West Egg. Nick’s female cousin, Daisy resides with her cocky and dishonest husband Tom in West Egg. Although they have wealth it is likely they did not make it for themselves. Instead it was probably bequeathed to them by a long line of higher class pedigree. Nick’s neighbor Gatsby has a flashy, not traditional, home. It is revealed later in the book that Gatsby and Daisy had a relationship in the early parts of their lives. Gatsby came from a poor and less advantaged family, while Daisy came from a family of the higher class. Gatsby dedicated is entire life amassing large amounts of wealth to impress Daisy. Through shady dealings, hard work, and belief Gatsby finally becomes rich.
Even after Gatsby’s cultivation of money he falls short of reaching Daisy’s social class. It is not Gatsby’s finances that keep him from the female. In fact it is more social mistakes. There is something about Gatsby and his humble beginnings that make him a little bit awkward. He feels like he must always prove himself and his accomplishments. He also is not the most fashionable. Even though this quote is open to controversy I believe it shows how unfashionable Gatsby is, “"Shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue.” These shirts reveal how rich Gatsby really is but none of them sound appealing. Do men with such status wear clothes that are Indian blue and coral plaid?
In the end is it not Gatsby’s wealth that keeps him out of his love’s caste. It is in fact him. Maybe someone who was not born into aristocracy can never be an aristocrat. Gatsby will always remain awkward and polluted by his past. He will always reside in East Egg looking in at West Egg. He will always be the man looking in at Tom Buchanan. He would never have been able to breach the strict rules of the hierarchy. He would have always been located in East Egg for is unruly ways of making profit and his weird behavior.
(Benjamin Cahill)
3. What is the meaning of the title? In what way is Gatsby great?
-The meaning of the title is a reference to a man named Jay Gatsby who lives in a mansion and hosts various, popular parties. What makes Gatsby so great? The answer is surprisingly simple; his ability to dream and his personal identity in his social parites. He is truely great; someone that everyone truely envies and enjoys at the same time. Throwing massive parties in his mansion, his vast wealth and variety of clothes, his swimming pool. He practically was the image of the American Dream at that time. He even seems to get everything that he wants. He even obatins the ideal girl for a short period of time and captivates her. That would make any man look at Gatsby in awe of his "greatness." Every great time in someone's life has a downfall. The second that greed overtook Gatsby; The second that he was consumed by his hopeless love for Daisy; The second that he stopped dreaming of noble things. That is when Jay Gatsby lost qualites that proved him to be great.
Works Cited
-
Carriger, Jay. "Analysis: The Great Gatsby." Michigan State University. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. <https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html>.
Millet, Frederick C. "Analysis: The Great Gatsby." Michigan State University. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. <https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html>.
Phillips, Brian, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Spark Pub., 2002. Print.
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